Here begynneth the book of the subtyl historyes and fables of Esope whiche were translated out of Frensshe in to Englysshe by wylliam Caxton at westmynstre in the yere of oure Lorde M. CCCC. lxxxiij

¶ The vij fable is of a Rethorycian and of a crowkbacked /

[illustration]

A Philosopher sayd ones to his sone / that whan he were falle by fortune in to somme dommage or perylle / the sooner that he myght he shold delyuere hym of hit / to thende / that afterward he shold no more be vexed ne greued of hit / As ħit appiereth by this fable of a rethoryque man or fayr speker / whiche ones demaunded of a kynge / that of alle them whiche shold entre in to the Cyte / hauynge somme faulte of kynde on theyr bodyes / as crouked or counterfayted / he myght haue and take of them at thentre of the yate a peny / the whiche demaunde the kynge graunted to hym / and made his lettres to be sealed and wreton vnder his sygnet / And thus he kepte hym styll at the yate / And of euery lame scabbed / & of alle suche that had ony counterfaytour on theyr bodyes / he tooke a peny / ¶ It happed thēne on a day that a croukbacked and counterfayted man wold haue entryd within the Cyte

withoute gyuynge of ony peny / and bethought hym self / that he shold take and put on hym a fayre mantel / and thus ara∣yed came to the yate / ¶ And thenne whan the porter byheld hym / he perceyued that he was goglyed / and sayd to hym pay me of my dowte / And the goglyed wold paye nought / wher fore he toke from hym his mantel / And thenne he sawe that he was crowkbacked and sayd to hym / thow woldest not tofore paye a peny / but now thow shalt paye tweyne / ¶ And whyle that they stryued to gyder / the hat and the bonet folle from his hede to the erthe / And the porter whiche sawe his scabbed hede / sayd to hym / now shalt thow paye to me thre pens / And then∣ne the porter yet ageyne setted his handes on hym / and felte / that his body was al scabbed / And as they were thus wrast∣lynge to gyder / the crowkbacked fylle to the ground / and hur∣ted hym self sore on the legge / And the porter sayd thenne to hym / Now shalt thow paye v pens / For thy body is al counter fayted / wherfore thow shalt leue here thy mantell / And yf thou haddest payd a peny / thow haddest gone on thy waye free and quyte / wherfore he is wyse that payeth that / that he oweth of ryght / to then de that therof come not to hym gretter dommage /